Also bigger batteries will be necessary which also add up weight and the complete helicopter gets very hot under the canopy
which may ends in electronic failure.
A easy way to otimize the TDR with the recommended motor for speeding is to set the ESC to 100% and use 15 teeth pinion
with a 12s setup than you will have plenty of power and speed
In this configuration there are some details which you have to observe. You will find some informations about that in chapter
XV “Directions for initial flight”
In general, this light helicopter also allows an 10s operation with brilliant performance values. Because of the low difference in
price between the 10s and 12s batteries the decision which battery to use is problably not too difficult.
Flight attempts have shown that a slightly higher capacity is needed for the same flight time when using 10s batteries. The
reason for this is the higher power consumption at a lower voltage. Thus the balance of weight between the 10s and the 12s
is compensated.
The advantage of the 12s is that it offers more power during extreme manoeuvres.
Apart from that the use of 10s provides more power than every optimally adjusted glow version.
In connection with the development of the Rigid numerous test flights with a logger data capture were carried through, which
persuaded me to refrain from the exaggerated present max rotor speed hype.
Thanks to light models with flybarless main rotors it is not necessary any more to race with a rotor head speed exceeding the
limit of 2000. The properties when flying straight on are even fantastic at 1300 rpm at the main rotor. Every flybar head
helicopter would pitch up hopelessly at these manoeuvres.
Most of the 3D figures can be flown because of a lower rotor disc load also using a more moderate head speed. So more
than 1800 rpm at the main rotor are unnecessary when flying this helicopter.
The logger data show that the efficiency of the blades decreases rapidly with increasing head speed, so that most of the
energy is wasted.
For the same flight condition „Hovering at one position“ 570W is required at 1300 rpm at the rotor and at 1850 rpm you
already need 1000W. At more than 2100 rpm 1500W are required, i. e. nearly the triple amount, although you do nothing
more than hovering.
This result shows clearly that the flight time can be increased considerably, if the rotor does not constantly rotate at full
speed. All these results have contributed to and influenced the choice of the speed reduction and the recommended drive of
the Rigid.
Only exception to fly with higher rotor rpm is for speed competitions were the flight time is not important (please also look into
chapter XV)
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